Fated Sky
by SnowyScales
Summary: Taking the earlier train has turned out to be rather fortuitous. A soulmate AU. (An AU of my fic Words.)
1. Interlaken

Fated Sky

SnowyScales

Part 1

Harry was just getting settled into his room at Hotel Krebs in Interlaken, when he heard about the accident. He had turned on the tv in the muggle hotel room, and it had been set to a local news channel, which was talking about how the train leaving Zermatt had been swept off the tracks by an avalanche.

Harry was bloody glad he'd decided to leave the Panorama Ski Lodge earlier, or otherwise he'd have been on the train on the news. He did hope the people on the train were okay.

Over the course of the next few hours, the passengers were rescued – miraculously none had died, though there had been many injuries after all. Watching the passengers leaving the train to get into the rescue vehicles, Harry's attention was caught.

Coming out of the train was a man, dressed in a suit and fedora that were surprisingly immaculate, and he had the _weirdest_ curly sideburns that Harry had ever seen. He had an odd feeling in his chest, tight and aching. He felt like he knew this man, recognised him somehow.

Harry dismissed the feeling and turned off the tv, all the passengers were safe and nobody was badly hurt. He went to turn in for the night, he had a busy day tomorrow. It was going to be his birthday, and he'd have to apparate back to England to see the Weasley's and Hermione, and everyone else.

He didn't notice he was rubbing his arm, where his Words lay on his skin in bright yellow and dark indigo.

* * *

You have no idea how much bloody research I did for Words. Even before I decided to make a nobody-dies version and write this. So much research.


	2. St Beautus Caves

Fated Sky

SnowyScales

Part 2

After Harry got back from spending his birthday with his family back in England, he spent the rest of the following week exploring Interlaken. He explored the gardens (they reminded him of being in the safer Hogwarts greenhouses), learned how to ice skate (he only narrowly avoided having his fingers sliced off during one of his many, many falls), he even went paragliding (it was amazing and he loved it).

He spent a couple of days exploring the St Beatus Caves; quitely slipping into the magical side of the attraction, where they had the bones of the Thun Dragon on display – a great specimen of the Swiss Niederhorn Dragon - and a statue of the Irish monk St Beatus who had slain it.

After that, he spent a day at the Niederhorn Massif Dragon Reserve, watching the reserves many Niederhorn dragons swooping about, only a handful of miles above the St Beatus Caves and the unknowing muggles visiting them.

Harry took many pictures of the Niederhorns and their babies; Hagrid would love them, and the hatchlings were actually pretty adorable.

Then, Harry slowly made his way through the rest of Switzerland, stopping to see attractions that interested him, before finally heading up into Germany. There, he made his way to Munich, where the Oktoberfest was due to start soon.

* * *

and yeah, for those who haven't realised or noticed yet… in Words, Harry died the day before his 18th birthday.

hu. hu. hu.


	3. Munich

Fated Sky

SnowyScales

Part 3

Oktoberfest left Harry with several blank spots in his memory. He may have… overindulged a little bit. Just a tad.

Still somewhat hungover, Harry visited a tiny family-run cake shop and bought a selection of German pastries; Donauwelle, Fransbrötchen, linzer auge, even a couple of these adorable little marzipan piggies – how could he resist? - among others.

So it was no surprise, with the thudding in his head and his dulled reflexes, that he never noticed the man about to enter the shop and slammed into him, sending the poor man sprawling to the ground.

"Shit," Harry swore to himself, before offering his hand to the brown-haired man he'd just knocked over.

"I'm sorry," he said, helping the man up. "I wasn't watching where I was going!"

"So am I," said the man, and Harry noticed he had deep brown eyes, and looked like he wasn't much older than he, himself, was. "I also wasn't watching where I was going."

"Are you okay?"

The man waved him off.

"I'm fine, thank you," he smiled. "After all, it's not every day you get knocked over by an angel."

Harry blushed and squawked, flailing a little, and the brunettes lips quirked and he made a little _pfft_ sound. "You're adorable," he informed Harry. "But, seriously, I'm perfectly fine, thank you for the concern. And if I'm not, well, I am a doctor and can get myself sorted out."

"Oh, that's good," Harry said, still blushing slightly, "but still, I'm sorry I didn't notice you there."

After exchanging a few more words, Harry left to continue his vacation while the man – whose name he never got – went into the shop.

As a child, Shamal had been thrilled about his second set of words. He'd wondered what would happen, that cause his other soulmate to say _I'm sorry_. He'd wondered what his corresponding Words were going to be.

As an adult, Shamal wondered how the hell he was going to even know it was his soulmate, with only such horrifically common words as his guide. (The kid he'd been knocked over by had blushed delightfully when he'd flirted with the poor boy, though.)

He could only hope it was Reborn who met their soulmate first. At least he had some pretty damn unusual Words.

He didn't know why he felt odd in his chest. He'd have to do some tests when he got home, in case he had contracted or was mutating some new disease.

* * *

Harry. Shamal. you dumbasses.


	4. Rio de Janeiro

Fated Sky

SnowyScales

Part 4

Reborn sat in a small café, sipping a delightful cup of coffee, reading the paper, and looking for all the world just like any other normal businessman out for a bite of lunch.

In reality, he was watching the bustling crowds of Rio de Janeiro as he waited for his target to leave the drug den disguised as a dressmakers shop.

His attention was caught by a tourist at the open air market across the road. The teenager had messy black hair sticking out all over despite the humidity, and pale skin that was starting to turn red from sunburn. He was perusing a stall selling traditional hand-crafted jewellery.

The young man stilled and looked up from the stall, and Reborn found himself looking into a set of stunning vibrant green eyes. He let a smirk cross his lips, eyes trailing up and down the tourist's body, and winked. The other man flushed bright red and looked away, going back to his haggling with the stall vendor.

Reborn chuckled lowly, eyes the tourist over again. Yes, he would not mind at all giving that one a go. Pity he was on a job, the kid was very, very attractive indeed. He spotted his target leaving the seamstresses, and slowly finished his coffee. He nonchalantly checked the watch on his wrist, folded up and put away his newspaper, and got up to follow.

He passed off the burning in his chest as heat from the still-hot coffee he'd just drunk.

* * *

As it turned to winter in Europe, Harry decided to move his trek across the globe to South America, where it was much warmer.

He'd marvelled at Chichen Itza, and visited the wizarding city of El Dorado (honestly, that much gold was just beyond excessive), boated down the Amazon River, and even witnessed the Iguazu Falls. After a short break back to England for Christmas, Harry was back in South America exploring more of Brazil.

Harry had found some nice bits of jewellery to get for the ladies in his life, and was in the process of haggling with the stall vendor over the price, when he felt somebody watching him. He looked up, and saw a vaguely familiar, attractive man sitting at a cafe across the road. He had dark hair and eyes, and wore a typical business suit.

The man smirked, looked him up and down salaciously, and winked. Harry could feel himself flushing bright red at the look. He ducked his head down, breaking eye contact, and went back to his haggling with the merchant, who was eyeing his blush and chuckling.

After he had paid for the jewellery, Harry snuck a glance back at the man who had been staring at him. He was mildly disappointed that he had disappeared.

He assumed the feeling in his chest was embarrassment from the unexpected almost-obscene look the man had given him.

* * *

ah, so close, and yet, so far.


	5. Pompeii

Fated Sky

SnowyScales

The muggles believed that Pompeii had been destroyed by Mt Vesuvius erupting – and that was true, in a way. Wizards, however, knew that Vesuvius had only erupted due to the Roman Dark Lady Caelina in a failed attempt to cast her newly-created and still uncontrollable Fiendfyre curse. The uncontrollable flames had spread into the vent of the volcano and made contact with the lava, causing an exponential growth in the flames – and the volcano to erupt. Though, even now the pureblood's only considered it a failed attempt because she'd died in the fires she created.

Harry was happily wandering the streets of Pompeii with his muggle tour group, when he felt his mobile phone vibrate in his pocket. The Nokia 5110 (in a bright green that matched his eyes) had been a gift from Hermione at Christmas, who had charmed it to work around magic. He pulled it out and answered.

A few moments later, he made his excuses to the tour guide and all but ran for his hotel. There he checked out early, apologising to the receptionist for the trouble, and again rushed to the nearest train station. He quietly cursed the Italian ministry for putting an anti-apparition ward for several miles around Pompeii.

He frantically hurried onto the train to Naples, only narrowly missing bumping into somebody.

He had to get back to Britain as quick as possible.

Andromeda was dead.

* * *

Shamal was just exiting the train when he saw a figure rushing towards him. He didn't have time to do more than quickly step out of the way. He was so surprised by the rush, that he didn't get a proper look at them.

He had the oddest feeling that he'd seen the person before.


	6. Southern France, Somewhere

Fated Sky

SnowyScales

The end of July, four months after Andromeda had died and Harry had taken custody of Teddy, saw Harry and Teddy on a train in southern France. Harry had stayed in Britain learning everything he needed to know to look after Teddy, before his wanderlust had once again risen up and he had hit the road.

Harry still wasn't sure what to think of snails and frogs legs. Teddy hadn't seemed all that impressed, but he was only a year old. They had recently been in Avignon, and were heading in the vague direction of Nice. Harry was in no rush, they're get there eventually.

The train was trundling along tracks laid at the foot of a small cliff, when Harry heard some distinctly odd rumbling. The train began to shake, and Harry heard the squeal of the breaks slamming into place, followed by an even more ominous rumble from above. Loosened by the ongoing earthquake, the top of the cliff collapsed onto the train.

He grabbed Teddy, curling around the baby to protect him, as the train was shaken violently by both earthquake and avalanche. Luggage in the racks was thrown about, one of which hurtled against Harry's arm with a sickening crack. Something hit Harry's head as he curled protectively around Teddy, and the world went black.

* * *

Once the earthquake and subsequent avalanche had passed, Reborn took note of his injuries and surreptitiously healed them with his sun flames. Then he started to help the trains staff keep the other passengers calm, and give basic first aid to those who needed it while directing, or aiding if needed, those who had more serious wounds towards the handful of doctors that had been on the train.

Several hours later he was flagged down by a frazzled young doctor tending to another passenger.

"Could you go check up on the young father three carriages up? He's got a concussion and I've been too busy to check on him, myself," he said, stitching up a sluggishly bleeding gash. "You just need to make sure he's awake, isn't choking on his own vomit, maybe see if he can drink some water. Make sure his kid's not hungry or needs a change – poor man has a broken arm as well."

"Of course," Reborn agreed.

He made his way through the carriages until he found the man the doctor likely meant. Though, man was a bit of a push. He looked to be in his late teens, with pitch black hair and a smooth face scrunched with pain, and his eyes were closed. On his good side, tucked into it, was a dozing baby with dark brown-black fuzz.

Reborn knocked on the wall to announce his presence, and the young man opened startlingly green eyes to look at him.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Reborn asked. "One of the doctor's sent me to check up on the pair of you."

The young man let out a quiet huff. "Merlin knows, I've had worse," he said, with a pained smile, before his eyes went wide and his chin dropped in realisation. Reborn felt his own eyes widen, as he stared flabbergasted at the other man.

"Oh," he breathed. "This is unexpected."

"No kidding. I'm Harry," the other man offered, "Harry Potter."

"Reborn, just Reborn," Reborn replied, still staring in astonished wonder.

"And this," Harry motioned to the baby, "is my adopted son, Teddy."

* * *

hehehehe, they finally meet. and a cookie to anybody who notices what day of the year it is. hint: it's not quite as the seventh month dies.


End file.
